About the SAT

About the SAT

If you plan on attending college in the U.S., you need to take the SAT. The SAT is designed to measure a student’s math reasoning and skills. Every test contains three verbal sections, three math sections, and one equating section that may be either verbal or math.

SAT Questions

Some questions on the test are multiple choice and some are not.

The math portion consists of three sections and covers estimations and probabilities, along with all aspects of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. One section has thirty-five questions, each with five answers to choose from. Another section has fifteen questions, each with four answers to choose from. There is also a math section that contains ten questions and no multiple choice answers.

The verbal portion of the SAT contains three sections, which measure your reading and reasoning skills. One section contains forty critical reading passages, one section contains nineteen analogy questions, and one section contains nineteen sentence completion questions.

The equating section of the SAT does not account for any part of your score. This section was devised to compare the old SAT test to the new and to test new types of questions.

SAT Time Limit

The SAT is a timed test. You only have three hours to complete all seven sections. The following list will tell you how long you have to complete each portion:

Math: 75 minutes
Verbal: 75 minutes
Equating: 30 minutes

SAT Scoring

SAT scores range from 200 to 800 points in each section of the SAT. A perfect score is 1600 points. Approximately 1,000,000 students take the SAT each year. On average, only 20 of them get a perfect score.

SAT Test Dates

Test dates are offered in October, November, December, January, April, May, and June. You must be registered to take the SAT. To register online, go to http://www.collegeboard.com.

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GMAT Scores

If you have looked into applying to business school, then you know that you will need to take the GMAT. But, have you ever wondered why?

Why Schools Use GMAT Scores

GMAT scores are used to help schools determine how well an applicant will do academically in a business or management program. In most cases, GMAT scores are used to estimate the depth of an applicant’s verbal and math skills.

Many schools consider GMAT scores to be the perfect assessment tool when it comes to comparing applicants. Unlike grade point averages (GPA), GMAT scores are based on the same set of standards for all test takers.

How Schools Use GMAT Scores

Though GMAT scores can give schools an impression of academic knowledge, they can not measure many of the other qualities that are necessary for academic success. This is why admission decisions are usually not based on GMAT scores alone. Other factors, such as undergraduate GPA, work experience, essays, and recommendations also determine how applicants will be assessed.

The makers of the GMAT recommend that schools use GMAT scores to: Help select applicants for graduate study Help select applicants for financial aid programs (based on academic potential) Assist in counseling or guidance programs The makers of the GMAT also suggest that schools not use “cutoff GMAT scores” to eliminate applicants from the admissions process. Such practices may result in the exclusion of relevant groups. (e.g. Candidates who are educationally disadvantaged as a result of environmental and/or social circumstances.)

Average GMAT Scores

Average GMAT scores always vary from year to year. If you are interested in learning more about average GMAT scores, contact the admissions office at your school(s) of choice. They will be able to tell you what the average GMAT score is based on the scores of their applicants. This will give you something to shoot for when you take the GMAT. The GMAT scores shown below can also give you an idea of what the average score is based on percentiles. 96-99th percentile- 720 79-90th percentile- 630 61-75th percentile- 570 37-50th percentile- 500

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About the GMAT

About the GMAT

The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a standardized exam used by business schools to assess how well students are likely to do in an MBA Program. The GMAT exam measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills.

GMAT Questions

The exam consists of three parts: the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section.

The AWA contains two writing assignments: Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument.

The Quantitative section contains Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency. There are 37 multiple-choice questions in all.

The Verbal section contains questions that evaluate your reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction. There are 41 multiple-choice questions in all.

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Time Limit

You will have a total of 60 minutes to complete both writing assignments in the AWA section. (30 minutes for each assignment.)

You will have 75 minutes to complete the Quantitative section and another 75 minutes to complete the verbal section.

GMAT Scoring

GMAT scores range from 200 to 800. The majority of test takers score between 400 and 600.

Quantitative and Verbal scores range between 0 and 60. The AWA score is an average of the scores given to each writing assignment contained in the AWA section. You will receive a score between 0 and 6 on this section.

Testing Dates

The exam is administered year round. However, there is usually one week per month when you can not take the exam.

Registering

Register online at http://www.mba.com/

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